Money Magazine: Lower Merion Among Top 50 Places to Live in U.S.

Post Date:09/27/2017

Writing that it identified spots that offer a healthy economy, affordable homes, and a high quality of life, Money Magazine has included Lower Merion Township among its Top 50 places to live in the nation for 2017.

Lower Merion was called “picturesque” by the magazine, with “a 97% graduation rate, low crime, and median household income that tops $117,000 a year.”

The article recognized the Lower Merion School District as a distinct asset, along with Bryn Mawr, Harcum, Rosemont and Haverford colleges and St. Joseph’s University. It also cited the Township’s many recreational options, including dozens of parks, public swimming pools and playgrounds.

It concluded with a nod to Lower Merion’s large employers, including “many of the local universities or colleges, Main Line hospitals, financial institutions such as Susquehanna International Group or Maguire Insurance Agency, and medical services like Maxim Healthcare Services or Great Valley Health.”

The article is accompanied by a spring scene amid a neighborhood of twin homes in Ardmore.

(NOTE: The article is inaccurate with regard to Lower Merion’s median home price, which is $558,200. Also, the Township has 47 parks over 704 acres.)

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Money explained its methodology: The magazine looked only at places with populations between 10,000 and 100,000, and eliminated any place that had more than double the national crime risk, less than 85% of its state’s median household income, or a lack of ethnic diversity – yielding 2,400 places.

Money then collected about 170,000 different data points to narrow the list, considering data on each place’s economic health, cost of living, public education, crime, ease of living, and amenities, all provided by research partner Witlytic. Partnering with Realtor.com contributed data on housing market costs and growth. Money said it put the greatest weight on economic health, cost of living factors, and public school performance.

Finally, Money reporters “researched each spot, interviewing residents, checking out neighborhoods, and searching for the kinds of intangible factors that aren't revealed by statistics.”